Puzzle set



Patented June 13, 1933 UNTE JONAS L. osnnnonrnn, or SYRACUSE, NEW Yomr PUZZLE SET Application filed March 2,1933. SeriarNo. 659,369.

This invention relates to improvements in puzzle sets, and has for its object to provlde a highly attractive, educational as well as artistic puzzle, of the jig-saw type, which may be primarily made in the form of ornamental plaques that preferably depict varicolored natural or other scenes in relief, wherein the scenes appear more realistic than the common plane-figure puzzles heretofore produced; the said plaques being separated, as by sawing, into a number of irregular seg ments or parts that may be assembled for solving the puzzles by the proper and skillful matching of the component parts.

A further object is to provide a puzzle set that includes a sunken frame or tray in which to confine the segments while they are being assembled, the bottom of the frame having its uppermost plane surface treated with a peculiar varnish-like dressing or coating which yields under normal temperature a relatively hard smooth bed over which the segments of the puzzle may be maneuvered while the player is attempting the solution of the same. A further object is to provide such an assembling tray or frame whose bottom may be heated for softening the varnish and causing the segments of the relief picture to adhere to said bottom for permanently preserving the more or less artistic scene; t e bottom of said frame adapted to be reheated fer freeing and separating the said segments, in case the player again desires to exercise his skill in solving the problem.

I attain these objects by the means set forth in the detailed description which follows, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the complete puzzle set, showing the sunken frame in which is mounted the plaque representing a country or outdoor scene in relief; also showing the plaque separated into a number of I 5 segments, which, for the purpose of clearness,

are shown spaced by a network of narrow canals. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the,

variable thickness of different portions of the relief; also showing the narrow canals which slightly separate the segments. And Fig. 3 is a reduced top plan view of the framealone. In thedrawing, 2 represents a substantially rectangular open frame which may be molded in one part or may consist of a number of parts mitred at their corners, and 3 represents the plane bottom or back of the frame which is preferably permanently secured to the frame proper, the top surface 3 of the bottom 3 beinghereinafter referred to as the playing surface or field upon which the puzzle is solved. 4; represents the plaque which in the instant case depicts an outdoor scene that may be molded from papier mach or like plastic material, which when dried-is characterized by a certain degree of toughness that renders the plaque substantially unbreakable, the whole scene preferably being in relief, as shown by the irregular" depthof different portions of the plaque (see Fig. 2), and by which arrangement real forms are given to the different objects of the scene. The plaque 4 is preferably separated, as by sawing, into a number 'of irregular segments 4:, which at the start of the assembling, may be disposed loosely on the playing surface 3 which is preferably treated with a coating of varnish or the like (indicated by shaded line 30! in Fig. 2) that is ordinarily hard and smooth in normal temperatures, and which greatly A facilitates the free maneuvering of the segments during the working of the puzzle. When the segments 4; are all assigned to their proper places in the scene, they may be shuffled and separated and another attempt to solve the puzzle may be made. When at last the player tires of exercising his skill in assembling and solving the puzzle but desires to preserve the scene and the evidence of his skill in matching the separated parts, he may apply heat to thebottom of the frame 3 for softening the varnish 3a and effecting a permanent adherence of the plaque to the frame. The complete puzzle set may then be hung upon the wall or mounted upon a mantle or shelf the same as other ornaments or bits of art.

Obviously, the varnish or other adhesive may be applied to the bottom face of the plaque instead of the bottom of the frame and still be within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawing, the segments 4 are shown spaced by narrow canals, as 40, in order to distinguish the same.

5 My puzzle set is extremely simple, and not only affords an opportunity for children as well as adults to show their skill in solving the same, but affords in addition to the amusing and instructive exercise referred to, a

source of refined pleasure that arises from the artistic coloring of the different parts of Various natural scenes which are made to appear more realistic and interesting because the scenes are Wrought in relief, as herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is

An assembly board for use with puzzles of the jig saw type having a plane upper face coated with a varnish-like dressing providing a hard and smooth surface upon which the pieces of the puzzle may be freely maneuvered, said dressing having the property of being responsive to heat whereby to be softened so as to rigidly aflix the puzzle pieces to the board, and said board being formed of such material as to withstand a degree of heat to be applied thereto without injury so as to effect softening of the dressing in both '39 rigidly affixing the puzzle pieces to the board and in resoftening the dressing to permit the pieces to be removed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JONAS L. OBERDORFER. 

